Imane Khelif expresses appreciation for Algeria's support amid Paris Olympics controversy: Video

The Algerian welterweight champion, who recently clinched gold at the Paris Olympics, took the opportunity to highlight the significant role of Algerian women in her success and society at large.

Imane's journey to Olympic gold has not been without its challenges. She faced intense scrutiny and gender questions from opponents, yet she remained steadfast.

On Friday, August 9, Khelif won the Olympics women's 66kg final against China's Yang Liu in a unanimous points decision, having been the focus of intense scrutiny in the French capital in the past fortnight.

"The answer [to critics] came through the result In every match, I wanted to show the strength and performance of women and Algerian women in particular. As for the fierce campaign I had to face, and you all know what it was like, praise be to God the Algerian people supported me. Praise be to God, we have restored Algeria's reputation and raised the Algerian flag in Paris, which is the most important thing. We brought joy to the Algerian people and restored Algerian women's reputation," Khelif said.

Khelif has also filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment, her lawyer announced on Saturday, August 10.

"The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour," Nabil Boudi said in a statement, saying Khelif had filed the complaint for "aggravated online harassment... to Paris prosecutors". He added: "The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching."

Alongside Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who won the 57kg women's final on Saturday, Khelif was disqualified from last year's world championships due to failing gender eligibility tests. However, both were cleared to compete in Paris.